Vascular epiphytes of Duas Bocas Biological Reserve, a protected area in the Espírito Santo State, Southeastern Brazil

Epífitas vasculares da Reserva Biológica de Duas Bocas, uma área protegida no Estado do Espírito Santo, Sudeste do Brasil

ABSTRACT

Vascular epiphytes comprise a characteristic habit of tropical forest, representing an important part of the plant richness and ecological functions of these forests. In Brazil, studies regarding the vascular epiphytes in the Atlantic Forest (AF) has increased in the last years, however, some areas still have gaps of knowledge, like the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve (DBBR) in Espírito Santo State (ES) State, in Southeastern Brazil. In the eastern slopes of the mountainous region of the ES, there is the DBBR, a protected area comprising the main forest remnants of about 2,910 hectares, where we carried out a floristic checklist of the vascular epiphytes. We recorded 215 species, 92 genera, and 18 families, indicating the DBBR as one of the richest areas of the AF. The main families (Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Polypodiaceae, and Araceae) and genera recorded (Aechmea, Peperomia, and Pabstiella) agree with the patterns founded in the AF. Ten species are threatened at national level and 38 at state level; also 13 species recorded are classified as Data Deficient for the ES.

Keywords:
Araceae; Atlantic Forest; Bromeliaceae; floristic; mountain; new records; Orchidaceae